Fisher-Price® Thomas & Friends™ Adventures™ Cranky at the Docks

Blake and I were excited to receive the new Thomas Track Set to add to his train collection. Fisher-Price Thomas & Friend  Adventures Cranky at the Docks is an exciting new  track set where little engineers help Thomas and Cranky on their latest adventure at Brendam Docks. 

The set is a great size as it's small enough to store away but big enough for little ones to enjoy playing with.This means that it doesn't take up most of our living room and can be stored away easily in one of his toy boxes.  The  instructions were easy to follow when it came to putting the track together which is always handy when you have an eager toddler who wants it ready "NOW"!

The set features: 

- A rotating cranky which rotates 360 degrees and an arm that can be raised and lowered

- Thomas metal die cast engine plus a boat

- A drawbridge that moves up and down

The set is suitable for ages 3 years and over. Although Blake isn't 3 until December he does love playing with this set especially the die cast Thomas. The set can also be connected to other Thomas & Friends Adventures playsets that your little one may have. 

The set is great for letting children explore and use their imagination along with helping to develop both fine and gross motor skills. Blake loves the little Thomas and running him around the track and it's a great size for little hands. Cranky is another favourite due to him being able to move around and has a hook to load. 

The set retails at £34.99 which considering it can be connected to other Thomas and friend adventure sets is a great price. The set is definitely worth purchasing if you have a little one that loves Thomas or trains general. The set is also sturdy so I know that it will certainly last awhile. I also like that with this train set you don't have to worry about batteries and needing to replace them which I do with other train sets we own. 

*I was sent the Thomas and Friends Cranky at the Docks for this review although all opinions are of my own. 

Thomas and Friends Day to Night Projector

Blake moved from his cot into sleeping in his big boy bed last month and to begin with he was doing fine. However, recently he has started climbing out of bed and wanting to be playing with his toys. When I was asked about trying out the Thomas and Friends day to night projector I thought it would be a good idea as a way of trying to keep him in bed. 

When we received the Thomas and friends day to night projector Blake was eager to get it out the box. It is a lovely interactive toy as well as a handy projector for night time. Blake has always had a projector in his room at night and now upgrading him to this sweet Thomas and Tidmouth shed projector is perfect for night time with a calming glow featuring stars and the Thomas signature number 1 to help sooth him to sleep.

Start the day with a cheerful morning song and sounds. During play time, Blake was rolling Thomas through the shed to hear chugging sounds. The Tidmouth shed also produces different sounds, phrases and music as your little one plays. Blake has loved putting Thomas in and out of the shed as well as pushing him around on the floor and even carrying him around where ever he goes. The toy is sturdy which is needed when you have a hard handed toddler who loves throwing it around. The train is a great size for little hands to hold onto and it easy to move Thomas about. 

Turning the projector from day to night mode is pretty simple by sliding the switch. This then provides you with a sweet goodnight lullaby once Thomas has been tucked away in his shed. Stars and moon shapes will be projected along with Thomas's face and his signature number 1 through the roof of the shed. 

Overall Blake has loved playing with Thomas and although the projector hasn't made a difference yet in keeping him in bed it is a fun toy to help distinguish between day and night. 

We love the day to night projector and see it as a great learning tool and will have lots of fun with play. 

May Favorites

Happy 1st of June everyone, so another month has gone by and we are almost half way through 2016.  Blake and I have quite a few favorites so I'll get straight into it. 

I brought two new tops this month ready for the warmer weather and they will be ideal for when we go away later in the year. They are both from Peacocks and should be still available.  The first one is this Lace Up Paisley Print Top which was £14. It has a dipped hem at the back and a criss cross fastening at the front I love the paisley print and have a maxi dress in the same print which I am yet to wear. The other top is a Red Lace Insert Vest it features a v neck and has a dipped hem at the back and was £12. 

I have been using the Mitchum solid deodorants since the end of 2015 and I don't know why I haven't included it in a favorites post til now. I find that spray deodorants don't really work that well for me as I have to keep topping up throughout the day and with this one I don't have to. They are pricey but I've never brought it full price which is usually £4.99 I look out for them to be on offer and get them in bulk at £2 each. 

I've had a bit of a summer cold during May and my nose has been bunged up quite a bit so 

I've been using both the Olbas inhaler and Olbas Oil to help with that. The oil is great on my pillow at night. 

During May I got around to reading the Unmumsy Mum and loved it I will certainly be keeping it on my bookshelf and dip into it from time to time. Also not photographed I have been loving watching Once Upon A Time on Netflix when I have some spare time. 

I was sent the new E45 Derma Protect spray moisturiser from Bzzagent and have been loving it. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to using a body lotion as I find it too time consuming but I love spray lotions as I find it more quicker and easier to apply. I tend to buy these type of lotions when on offer as they can be pricey I've seen this one sold in my local superdrug for £5.99. 

Onto Blake's favorites he's been loving his books a lot this month and one his favorites is the Usborne Noisy Farm. I picked it up from a charity shop and Blake has loved hearing all the animal noises.  He has also loved Terrific trains which I also picked up from a charity shop.

Blake's Granny picked up this cute Noahs Ark story The Great Flood which he has loved me reading to him.

Another charity shop find is this Leapfrog discovery house, he has the farm one but this month has been playing with this one non stop.  He has also loved playing with his Fisherprice piggy bank and is now trying to put the coins through the slot. 

Last of all I've included his new storage boxes as we love them. They are a great size and currently store some of Blake's Happyland toys in. They are also great quality and go perfectly with his room. 

What are your favorites for May? 

Comparison: Fisherprice Laugh and Learn Puppy Vs Leapfrog My Pal Scout

When it comes to toys there are so many products on the market that some people don't know where to start or know which are the best brands etc. 

Now for Christmas Blake got two different interactive puppies which we love. 

I decided to do a comparisons post as then I give my thoughts on both of them

so if you have seen both before and not sure which one to get then this post should help you. 

Blake loves both and they both have different songs etc for play and learning. 

So the first is the Fisherprice Laugh and Learn Puppy (smart stages) then we have the  Leapfrog My Pal Scout which you can also purchase in purple called

My Pal Violet.

I'll start with the FisherPrice laugh and learn puppy. 

This puppy comes with the smart stages technology so that the puppy can grow with your child. 

There are a variety of developmentally appropriate songs, phrases and sounds within three levels of play. Puppys light-up heart even twinkles along to the music! 

Smart Stages Technology Level 1 

 Explore  6M+ First words and sounds spark babys curiosity 

Level 2 

Encourage  12M+ Prompt baby through questions and simple directions

 Level 3 

Pretend 18M+ Imaginative fun and early role play. 

With this puppy we like that it is touch sensitive and that on the back you have an on and off switch and also can change the volume to high or low.  The songs are great and teach numbers, colors,ABC's etc so it fits in well with your child's development. 

The downside is the off switch on the paw as Blake keeps turning it off and on and

its a pretty annoying hearing it say bye bye frequently. Other than we really love it.

My Pal Scout  can be personalised which is amazing!

This is done via connecting to your mobile or tablet using the app.

You can personalise it to says your child's name but its worth 

checking in advance if your little ones name is on there if its unique name. 

You can then choose your child's favorite food, color and animal from a wide selection. 

Scout comes with 5 pre-loaded songs, or you can select and download your choice of learning tunes and lullabies from an online list of 30 songs. Press a paw to play music, learning songs or games. 

The cute puppy teaches:

- Learning about numbers: children are introduced to number names and number order through counting games and activities.

- Introducing daily routines: learning about daily routines help children develop a sense of time and sequence.

Learning about feelings: even very young children can begin to recognise and express their feelings, as well as the feelings of others.

Again like the fisherprice puppy My Pal Scout is touch sensitive which we love. 

I like that the color of Scout is eye catching so catches Blake's attention easily. 

There is an on and off button on Scouts foot like the laugh and learn puppy but it 

is quiet when it turns off. 

Blake loves both of them and we love that each puppy teaches him different things.

The fact that Scout is personalised is just an added bonus to the interactive puppy. 

Does your little one/s have one or both of these puppies? 

I'd love to know your thoughts

comment below. 

Blake's Christmas Presents

A few weeks ago I shared with you what we gifts have got for Blake's first birthday.

Which you can read about here.

Today I wanted to share with you the bits that we have got him for Christmas. 

We have mainly got him little gifts and one big gift. 

Bing Swing and other episodes

This present is from Santa. 

Blake watches Bing Bunny on Cbeebies from time to time

and loves it. Admittedly not as much as In the night garden. 

But I wanted to get one of the Bing Dvds so that he can watch something if needs be when 

I am busy tidying or cleaning. 

Wooden Rocket Puzzle Stacker 

This wooden rocket puzzle is ideal for teaching your child to learn spacial awareness and learning the basics of numbers, shapes, colours and sizes. 

Each piece is numbered one to ten and has bright colors. 

We got this from Wilko and love the rocket shape.

My Pal Scout

My Pal Scout  can learn your child's name and likes such as favorite food.

This is done via connecting to your mobile or tablet and using the app. 

If your child has a very unique name though its worth looking to see if that name

is in the list of names.

The cute puppy teaches:

- Learning about numbers: children are introduced to number names and number order through counting games and activities.

- Introducing daily routines: learning about daily routines help children develop a sense of time and sequence.

Learning about feelings: even very young children can begin to recognise and express their feelings, as well as the feelings of others.

In The Night Garden Goodnight Iggle Piggle Book

This is a bright and colorful book which I know Blake will love. 

As I have mentioned before Blake loves Iggle Piggle and 

we love reading. 

Fisher price smart stages scooter

The smart stages scooter has the smart stages learning technology meaning it will grow with him. 

Every baby develops at his or her own pace, and Smart Stages technology gives you the ability to select the stage that’s best for your child! 

There are a variety of developmentally appropriate songs, phrases and sounds within three levels of play,just slide the switch for level changes.

In The Night Garden Puzzle

To add to Blake's toy collection we decided to include this 

In the night garden puzzle to help aid his fine motor skills.

But also as he loves In the night garden we thought this would grab his attention. 

So there you go with Christmas getting even nearer I hope this has given you 

even more ideas in case you still need to start shopping. 

Does your little one/s have any of these toys? 

I'd love to know. 

Also if you would like me to write some reviews on some of the toys 

we have got him than let me know which ones. 

As usual comment below. 

Blake's 1st Birthday Gifts

Nine days before Christmas is going to be a very special day. 

A special day because Blake will be turning one! 

It's pretty scary as this year has just flew by and it only feels like yesterday since

I held him in my arms for the first time. 

Because Blake's birthday is so close to Christmas I have had to be pretty organised

so all his presents for both his birthday and Christmas have all been brought. 

I've not found it too hard for him to know what to buy him as I had a rough idea of the things

I wanted him to have plus I have a list on Amazon so that other family members can get ideas on what to get for him as well. 

The In The Night Garden Activity Table was the last item that we purchased for him as it was 

something I really wanted him to have since he loves In The Night Garden (especially Iggle Piggle).

But at £59.99 I felt that it was far too much to spend on a toy however Amazon have it as of writing this post down to £32.84. 

The ball pit  is from argos and I also got the balls for the pit from their as well I like that this toy can be easily 

stored in his toy box as it folds down small and the balls also have a little case to put them in. 

All of the clothing is from HandM's Kids range from the 4 months to 2 years boys section. 

I have a little thing for Monochrome at the moment and just love these pieces. 

This is the first lot of clothing that he owns from there and I am so impressed with prices and quality of the items I have received. 

Sweatpants 

2 pack long sleeve tops

Black and white outfit (think no longer sold) 

Laugh and Learn Piggy Bank

We actually got Blake's second hand but it's a great condition. 

I love that this piggy helps with counting and learning colors but is 

also great for fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination. 

Tomy Hide and Squeek Eggs

I like the look of these they look like a fun and simple toy

that I know Blake will love and have fun with as he loves anything that makes a noise. 

So that is as far as gifts go for Blake's birthday I still have some more things I need to do. 

I have his outfit sorted but want to find some cute shoes to go with it. 

I also have showed my mum a cake idea as she will be making his cake. 

I just need to sort out the little bits like decorations, balloons and wrapping paper.

If anyone knows where I can purchase Iggle Piggle or in the night garden wrapping paper 

that would be great I can't seem to find any. 

I hope this post has been useful as with Christmas also coming up I know a lot of you are going 

to need some ideas for your own child, family or even friends little ones. 

 I would love to know what you have purchased for a child's first birthday?

comment below. 

Fisher-Price Space Saver Jumperoo

Hi everyone, so today I am showing you the Fisher-Price space saver Jumperoo. 

Over the last few weeks we have been testing out this fab jumperoo (well mainly Blake has). 

Now Blake has been in a jumperoo once before over at one of his little friends. 

However we felt that if we purchased one for Blake it would take up 

too much precious floor space. 

We also weren't too sure since my in laws had recently bought him a walker. 

So when I was asked if we were interested in trying out the space saver from Fisher-Price we jumped at the chance (no pun intended). 

The Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends SpaceSaver Jumperoo was created after listening to many Mum's concerns with regards to the size of most jumperoo's. So this lovely jumperoo is one that can be folded flat for easy storage. I feel that this jumperoo is a life saver for Mum's and Dad's alike especially if living a small flat like us with lack of storage space.

Pros: 

Quick and easy to Assemble

When you open the box the first thing that made me worry was the amount of bits and pieces there are to put it together. However my husband who loves doing things like this decided to assemble it and it was all up and ready in about 5 minutes.

It folds down

      An obvious one but it folds down.

This is a huge plus point for us since big baby items tend to be bulky and living in a small two bed flat makes space essential.

A wide variety of toys and music

The jumperoo has a good amount of toys for Blake to grab, spin, poke and chew on. 

The toys are as follows: 

- A light up musical piano which has a little spinner toy in the middle which Blake loves. 

- A soft-sided overhead toy bar with monkey roller ball and two rainforest friends spinners.

- Bubble frog teether

- clacker ring bar

and

- Turtle clicker. 

Easy to adjust

The height is adjustable with four height adjustments this means the jumperoo grows with your baby.

Lightweight

It weighs 5kg so is very portable which makes it great for moving around.  I like

to swap around his jumperoo with his walker and have one in the living room and one in his bedroom. 

Bright colors

We love that is bright and attractive to the eye. 

Before we popped Blake into it for the first time he kept looking towards it. 

Washable seat

I love that the seat is washable as Blake has on a few occasions been having snacks whilst in the jumperoo.

It is also great if there are any nappy explosions as I know it can just be popped into the washing machine.

Cons: 

The piano isn't a piano

Although described as a piano what you actually get is lights that flash up as the music plays.

It would've been nice to have keys that could be pressed. 

It's a bit tricky to fold down

Although the fact that it folds down is a plus. 

It is a bit tricky to fold up and down as its quite stiff I'm hoping this will get better

the more often it is used. 

No batteries are included

I know not all toys have batteries included but feel that if you're going

to spend a large amount of money on something ( the jumperoo retails at £79.99) 

then I would want batteries to be included. 

Overview

Blake loves playing in the jumperoo, it took him a few days to get use to the idea of needing to jump as he was use to his walker. 

The bright colours, great amount of toys, lovely music and sounds as well as the jumparoo being fold-able and light weight, makes this jumperoo a must have for lots of fun and giggles. 

What are your thoughts on the Fisher-price space saver Jumperoo? 

Did/do you use a jumperoo for your little one/s?